Hot Cock In The Morning, Hammerhead & Dwarven Cavalry

 I am not designed for 04:00 starts anymore, but the memsahib is away in the capital doing what she does in Westminster today, so it is only right and proper that I rise at the same unreasonable hour.

As I type, at 05:00, a chicken has been roasting for 45 minutes, destined to be betrothed to button mushrooms, consumating their marriage under a conjugal duvet of egg-glazed puff pastry, the remaining meat destined to become a riot of flavour with some black beans, in burritos when we get back from Hammerhead tomorrow.

The dogs are all a bit grumpy as they have been awoken early, can smell roasting poultry, and are not getting any... This they see as unfair.

It's been a busy week work-wise, with the added 'joy' of having to have some kind of injection inbetween the wrist joint, for my arthritis/sinovitis - not something I suggest you try unless you have to.

That said, I also took delivery of 8 more Grand Manner buildings and have been able to plan a decent sized order with Hovels for their lovely - brook me no buts on this - Eastern European buildings. 

I also formalised the plan for the rest of the gaming year, which basically breaks down thus:

1. One of every 'Bloody Miniatures' release, to expand my ECW skirmish collection. In actual fact I could probably fight some of the smaller 'field' battles soon. 

2. Add 6 more units to my Austrian Napoleonics and increase 4 of the existing infantry units in size. I've been lucky enough to locate the original painter who, also painted stuff for the WHC.

3. Add a few regiments to the fantasy collection, which frankly, is getting out of hand. My painter is really loving it though, as he's a real fantasy fan, and is getting a taste for the ECW.

My grandsons are going to their first show tomorrow, and have been supplied with bags of money to be wasted therein (they don't know this yet). I've been quite firm about not talking shop at the show, because I want them to experience the wonder of wargaming and I also want to see their reactions. My eldest grandson is autistic, but I'm hoping he finds a show to be a fun rather than stressful place. He's a bright and inquisitive boy, so I can see nan and grandad having to answer a lot of questions.

Yesterday, I received a package from another painter, Matt Brown, who's painted 24 more of my Satanic Panic Miniatures Dwarven cavalry. I got them varnished and stuck down to bases yesterday, ready for handing off to the memsahib for finishing:

Well, the clock has just struck 6AM, so I better go and remove the chicken from the oven and go to work.

TTFN